Archive for the ‘Honeycomb’ Category

Now in its fourth year, Google’s big developer conference just wrapped up after two days. The conference included massive announcements about the future of GoogleTV, ChromeOS, and more. But let’s face it, the spotlight is on Android.

In tonight’s show, we’ll recap some of the highest highlights from I/O, and what they could mean to the future of Google’s impact on our lives both on and away from the web.

Movies on Android Market:
- Movies can be rented/purchased, then streamed to any Android device
** “Thousands of movie titles, $1.99 each” (HD = $4.99)
** That’s cool, sure, but isn’t Netflix $8/mo for unlimited streaming, and has mobile apps?
- Demo shows rental purchased on web app, then instantly available in XOOM’s app.
- Includes “pinning” to allow movies to sync in the background for offline viewing.

Android Open Accessory:
- A new API that auto-installs necessary apps when a peripheral or device needs them.
- “Completely open” – no NDA, no fees, no approval required. ADK available now!
- Based on Arduino

Google Music:
- Sync over the cloud, no need for wires.
** That sounds stupid. People have thousands of gigs of music, would take HOURS to upload and re-sync.
** Endadget says, “It’s like Dropbox, for music.”
- No word on final pricing, but the service will not be free.
- Also features an auto-playlister of some sort called Instant Mix.

Google TV:
- New interface using Honeycomb looks more like Android, less like TV.
- Multi-screen apps are going to be pushed in a big way.
** Example: Poker games, with a central display of the table, and personal devices for hands.

We react to Microsoft’s purchase of Skype, and share our thoughts, predictions, and a full round up of analyst chatter. Plus find out why Microsoft might be getting a bit of a deal on this massive $8.5B purchase!

Plus – Our quick thoughts on today’s Google I/O news and a few highlights from today’s announcements from Google!

Show Notes:

MS Not paying US taxes for the $8.5Bill purchase?
“Of Microsoft’s nearly $50.2 billion in cash and liquid investments, about $42 billion is held in foreign subsidiaries and would otherwise be subject to a tax hit if the money were brought back to the U.S. Ballmer said it is appropriate to use overseas cash because Skype is headquartered in Luxembourg.”

Chris’s thoughts:
-Xbox 360 integration might finally bring Video calling to the TV in an easy way?
-Crazy VR possibilities with Kinect?
-What does this mean for Skype on Linux? (and Mac?)
-Will skype be built into Windows Phone 7 to compete with facetime and GoogleTalk?